


Memory Loss

by AjSpammin



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Amnesia AU, Gen, Honest, Langst, bye, i honestly don't know what else to tag this, i've embraced the shance, lance amnesia au, lance has amnesia, shangst, the shance was an accident, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-13 19:07:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11191503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AjSpammin/pseuds/AjSpammin
Summary: Lance’s head was pounding as he fell out of whatever had been holding him, his legs feeling like jelly. He wasn’t even able to take a step before he collided with a chest, strong arms wrapping around his body. He was silent, eyes still closed as he simply laid in the unknown arms, brain trying to piece together what exactly was happening.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> https://ajspammin.tumblr.com/post/161570306485/ajspammin-oh-yeah-back-to-that-topic-about  
> That's where my idea to write this came from  
> and yes, that's my tumblr and yes again, this is going on my tumblr as well

Tired brown orbs stared at the cryopod the teen’s best friend had been in for months, hands resting on large hips as he stared at the seemingly peaceful face of the smaller teen.

It’s been months since the incident involving Sendak sending a bomb into the castle. Lance had been with Coran when it had gone off and to protect the older Altean, he had put his own body in the way of the explosion as he pretty much tackled him out of the way. The explosion had hit the Blue Paladin hard and knocked him out cold, concerning all of the others. Shiro had been the one that offered to take care of him until they had the castle up and running again and then Sendak came along.

As everything happened, Lance hadn’t reacted in any way whatsoever. He didn’t react to the galra throwing him around like he was a sack of potatoes. He didn’t react to the sounds of his friends fighting Sendak right in front of him. He didn’t react to being moved around to put him into one of those suits the Alteans put on someone before they entered a cryopod.

He didn’t wake up like they thought he would.

Coran had assumed it wouldn’t take long, had the others believing the Blue Paladin would be out in only a few hours.

Instead he was in there for a day.

A day led to a week.

A week led to two weeks.

Before they knew it, an entire month had passed.

While Lance was in the pod, they had learned Allura was capable of flying Blue, though the lion was acting stubborn. She disliked having someone who wasn’t her paladin piloting her when her paladin was still alive and she let this be known, whether it be by putting up her force field so Allura couldn’t get in or would even refuse to start up. Often or not, they ended up needing one of the other lions to get her to let her temporary paladin in, it usually having to be Red or Black.

The first time they had tried to form Voltron while Allura was piloting Blue, the others could feel Blue’s hesitance through the bond. They could feel her worry and it always ended with one of them needing to check on Lance to see if he had woken up yet.

That’s what led Hunk here right now.

The Yellow Paladin stared at his friend before raising a hand to run it through his hair, a soft sigh leaving him. He had turned around to leave when a very familiar sound met the paladin’s ears. He spun around to see the cryopod the Blue Paladin was in opening and panic settled deep in his gut. He scrambled to the emergency button Coran had told them to press when Lance woke up, slamming his hand down on it before rushing back to Lance. A loud siren sounded, but Hunk didn’t care about that as he almost fell when trying to catch Lance, arms wrapping around his smaller form.

Lance’s head was pounding as he fell out of whatever had been holding him, his legs feeling like jelly. He wasn’t even able to take a step before he collided with a chest, strong arms wrapping around his body. He was silent, eyes still closed as he simply laid in the unknown arms, brain trying to piece together what exactly was happening. He could hear others entering the room at alarmingly fast speeds, loud voice beginning to speak around him. He flinched slightly and shrunk into the stranger's arms slightly seeing as the figure made him feel...safe for some reason.

"Guys! He just woke up, give him space!" The person holding him barked out, his voice hard despite how warm he felt. The voices died down, a feminine voicing murmuring an apology. Lance was silent for a long moment before slowly opening his eyes and moving out of the arms that were wrapped around him, arms that were hesitant to let him go, but did. He swayed slightly at first and the three guys in front of him took a step forward, concern in their eyes. He looked around at the people, brows furrowing slightly as he stared at the people around him. Something about them seemed a little familiar, though he just didn't know where he saw them before.

"Lance?" The voice to the front right of him spoke, gaining his attention. The guy looked exhausted, grey orbs not leaving his smaller form as he took another step towards him slightly. Lance took note of his right arm with how it was definitely not human and didn't look like any kind of human technology he had seen before.

"Lance, buddy?" The person whom had been holding him spoke now, making Lance's head snap towards him.

Hunk noticed the panic that was filling his best friend's eyes as he began to look around himself, backing away from everyone as his breathing began to pick up. When he saw Lance look at Allura and Coran, he saw the panicked fear settle in as he began to breath heavily, hands twitching at his sides as he looked around those around him.

"Who are you? Where the hell am I?" Lance's voice wavered slightly as his eyes locked onto the nearest exit.

"Lance, this is no time to be goofing off-" Allura started, approaching the Blue Paladin. When Lance's eyes locked onto her, his form turned defensive, blue eyes hardening slightly as he glare at the princess.

"Get away from me!" His voice was loud and the panic was still there, though it seemed like he was trying to hide it behind a brave shield. Allura froze, only a few steps away from the teen, eyes wide as she stared at her paladin.

"Lance, buddy, come on." Hunk stepped forward, moving Allura behind him despite the princess's protest. Having her away from him seemed to help Lance relax slightly, but his form was still tense as he stared at the larger male. "Lance, it's me, Hunk. Come on, don't you remember?" The Yellow Paladin's voice wavered slightly, making the frightened teen in front of him pause, his guard dropping slightly.

The guy whom had been holding him that looked nice enough looked as if he was about to say something else when the guy with a mullet started towards Lance. A voice snapping in a whisper yell, 'Keith, don't', fell upon death ears and the guy Lance assumed was Keith reached a hand out to grab his arm. Defensive reflexes kicked in and he swung, landing a solid blow on the guy's jaw. 'Keith' stumbled, eyes wide in obvious surprise though it quickly flickered to anger. The other voices in the room went ignored as Lance quickly ran towards the exit he had seen, the panic settling in once more. Voices yelling followed him as he ran, footsteps not too far away from him. Lance was quick to take twists and turns he didn't even know, running up stairs, entering rooms and leaving through other exits in said rooms. His chest was heaving, the voices long gone but still leaving him frightened because he didn't know where the people were.

Lance saw a door that looked like an exit and ran to it. He noticed the scanner and set his hand on it, relived when it opened and entering only to freeze when his gaze landed on what was on the other side of the second door.

Space.

All he could see for miles was space in every direction he looked. His heart began to hammer away in his chest as he stared out the window before he quickly moved to the corner of what he was now assuming was an air lock.

 

"Guys, we have to find him, he doesn't remember where he is, he doesn't remember us, he must be so scared, I can't leave him alone-"

"Hunk, I know how you feel, but you have to calm down." Shiro moved to place a gentle hand on the Yellow Paladin's shoulder, but Hunk just moved away from him.

"Calm down?!" The way Hunk's voice startled the others slightly, having never heard him lash out like this before. Pidge stepped closer to their friend, gently taking his hand into their own. The larger male looked at them, silent for a moment before he let himself sink to his knees, letting them wrap their arms around him. "He doesn't remember us, Pidge...Doesn't remember any of us.."

"I know, Hunk...I know it hurts, but we need to be patient with him, we can't crowd him. He'll lash out again." The Green Paladin's eyes flickered to Keith, whom had a rapidly bruising mark on his jaw from where Lance had struck him. Said male was quick to look away from them, guilt flickering through his eyes. He hadn't been expecting Lance to hit him like that, the guy just didn't seem like the type to lash out like that. Then again, he was scared Keith approaching him probably did not help at all.

"Let's just give him some time." Shiro's voice cut in, gaining the other paladins' attention. "Give him some time and then we'll go looking for him again. He needs some time to process what's going on." Keith had simply nodded, Hunk and Pidge both being reluctant to agree at first because with how he was talking, he sounded like he wanted to leave Lance alone for hours and they didn't want to leave their best friend alone for that long in this condition, but Shiro struck them with that look that left no room for argument so they ended up nodding as well.

 

His mind was racing as he sunk down the wall to the floor, eyes burning as he tried to piece together what was going on. He could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks as questioned rushed through his thoughts, heart pounding heavily in his chest, his stomach churning, he felt like he was going to be sick.

_'Does my family know I'm here?'_

_'Mamá must be so worried about me.'_

_'Why am I here?'_

_'Who's taking care of Lila?'_

_'Luke?'_

_'Mi Abuela? Is she okay?'_

The thoughts about his family resounded through his mind, making his heart race faster, making more tears stream down his cheeks. The thoughts were cut through like butter, though, by a deep purr that rumbled through his mind. The sound frightened the teen, eyes snapping open and quickly looking around the air lock. When he saw nothing, the fear just deepened until a voice followed the purrs.

**'Lance, do not fear me.'**

The voice had him frozen in place, silent and unmoving. It didn't even feel like his chest moving and it wasn't until the voice had told him to breath that he realized he _wasn't_ breathing. Taking in a deep breath, Lance hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Who are you?"

The reply came quick.

**'I am the Blue Lion. Your lion.'**

"My lion?"

**'You are my paladin.'**

 "Paladin?"

The questions fell off his tongue and the voice he had begun to call Blue easily answered every single one of them. He wasn't quite sure how long had passed as he talked to Blue when she had asked him to do something.

**'Come to me, my paladin.'**

"Come to you?" Lance furrowed his brows slightly, though he was standing and exiting the air lock. "I don't even know where you are, Blue, how am I supposed to come to you?" An amused rumbled echoed through his mind, making him smile ever so slightly.

**'Just follow your instincts.'**

So he did.

Lance walked through the hallways he was unfamiliar with, an odd feeling beckoning him to take certain turns, go through certain doors. He had actually ended up running into one of the others and they both paused in the room before he took off, the woman whom was definitely not human looking after him with concerned eyes. He hadn't even realized where he was going until he stopped in front of a door, another hand scanner beside it. He hesitated, but Blue's comforting purr led him to place his hand flat against it. He watched it scan his large hand, watched the door open. Taking in a deep breath, he walked through and paused at the sight before him.

A large robotic lion sat before him, it's color as a beautiful shade of blue that immediately made his mind connect the dots that this was Blue. Eyes lit up so they were glowing bright yellow and with each movement he made, it felt like they were following him.

"You're huge.." He murmured, earning a loud laugh from the lion that echoed through his mind. The sound made him smile slightly, his posture relaxing as he watched Blue lower her head down to let him in through her large maw. Once again, he hesitated for a moment before an odd feeling of trust in her flooded him, leading him into entering. When he entered the cockpit, he took his time with looking around, gently running his fingers across the walls before approaching the seat. When he sat, it quickly pulled him forward, earning a startled yelp from him.

**'Lance, would you like to get out of here for a little while?'**

"What, you mean...just leave?" The confirming purr was all he needed for him to quickly agree, wanting to get away from the strange environment that surrounded him. Blue had just purred softly before rising to her feet. Lance noticed the door open, a panicked man coming through that he had learned from Blue was Keith yelling for them to wait. Then she took off, leaving her hanger without another word and pulling an excited yet slightly frightened noise from the Blue Paladin. She gently coaxed Lance into attempting to pilot her once they were out and in the vast place you call space, promising him she would assist him if it was too difficult.

Surprisingly enough for him, flying came to him easily and before he knew it, he was flying Blue all over the place, a giddy laugh leaving him as he grinned widely. His excitement pulled a content purr from Blue, the lion obviously approving of how he relaxed despite his earlier fears. Lance himself wasn't quite sure what led him to trusting this strange robot with his life, but he felt like she wouldn't let anything happen to him.

They flew in mostly silence except for Lance's excited whoops at random intervals that made Blue laugh. As time passed, however, curiosity began to pick at him as he remembered the panicked look on the stranger's face when Lance had left in Blue. All that the lion would tell him was their names and which ones the names belonged to, nothing more than that. He pleased with her, but she simply refused.

"Blue, can you tell me more about the others?" The question pulled a low rumble from his lion, a sound that was similar to a sigh.

**'I told you, you have to talk to them yourself.'**

"But I don't-"

**'You do know them, Lance, you just don't remember and you won't remember unless you confront them.'**

Blue's words echoed through his mind for a long moment before he sighed, head falling back slightly. Finally, he gave in with a murmur of 'let's go back', making Blue trill with approval. The paladin simply chuckled at his lion's actions, a soft smile finding its way onto his face. He let Blue pilot herself back to the castle since he didn't know where exactly they were in the first place.

When they had arrived back at Blue's hanger, Lance hesitated at first, his mind yelling at him to not trust those he did not know. Still, Blue's comforting purr echoing through his mind pushed the negative thoughts away and convinced him to leave his lion when she had lowered her head to let him out. He looked back at her once he reached the door and her soft purr was all he needed before he was leaving the hanger.

He was quiet as he began to wander the halls, following his gut instincts as he took certain turns. He felt lost at first, but before he knew it, he was entering a room that looked like a bedroom. His eyes darted around the room before they landed on a pile of clothes that looked very similar to what he used to wearing back at home. He hesitated for a moment before moving completely into the room and letting the door slide closed behind him. He felt around the suit he had forgot he was wearing, finally finding a way to take it off and pulling it off his slim form. He looked down at his bare chest, eyes catching on a scar that hadn't been there before and making him furrow his brows slightly. Blue's insistent purr snapped him out of his thoughts and he apologized under his breath before taking the suit the rest of the way off. The cooler air against his bare skin sent a shiver down his spine and he ran a hand across his chest, resting it over his heart to feel it pounding beneath his palm. He was silent for a long moment before a soft sigh passed his lips and he began to get dressed once more. He had only just gotten his pants on when he heard the door open behind him. He froze, breath catching in his throat as he stood there, hesitating before turning towards whomever was standing in the doorway. 

"Shiro-" He breathed out, staring at the one Blue had told him was the leader. Shiro silently stood there, a slight flush dusting the man's cheek as he stared at the younger male. It wasn't until he realized where he was looking that had Lance realizing why he was silent. He quickly scrambled to pull his shirt on, clearing his throat nervously. Shiro blinked and seemed to snap out of it, eyes wide as he stared at Lance.

"Lance-" He croaked out, staring at the Blue Paladin. Shiro had come to the room because Allura said Blue had returned and she wanted the paladins to make sure Lance was in the castle somewhere. He hadn't been expecting to find him half-naked in his bedroom and he definitely hadn't been expecting him to say his name. "Do you rem-" 

"Blue told me." Lance cut in, eyes darting around nervously. Shiro let out an understanding sound and the two stood in an awkward silence before the Blue Paladin cleared his throat once more. "She...She also told me to talk to you all.." His voice was quiet, just barely loud enough for Shiro to hear him. The Black Paladin let out a relieved breath, nodding slightly and taking a step towards him.

Lance visibly tensed when the older male got closer, his posture defensive as he stared at him from behind long lashes. Shiro swallowed nervously as he held his hands up, his smile small.

"I won't hurt you, Lance, I promise." His voice was soft as he took another step towards the other. The nineteen year old took a step back, eyes flickering between Shiro's eyes and the hand he was now holding out to him. The tension was thick as they held eyes contact for a moment. Finally, Lance moved to grab his jacket and slip it on before hesitantly placing his hand in Shiro's.

Relief flooded through the leader and he smiled at Lance, gently squeezing his hand. Said male's eyes just flickered away from Shiro, letting himself tighten his hold on the older male's hand slightly.

"Lance?" When the teen looked at him slightly, he offered a gentle smile. "I won't let anything happen to you, alright?" The sincerity in Shiro's voice seemed to help Lance relax and he nodded slightly, moving closer to him.

Lance could hear Blue's approving purr echo through his mind as he let Shiro lead him to the bridge and tried to ignore it, though he couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face at his lion's approval. Surprisingly, the only people there were the aliens- well, Allura and Coran. The 'Alteans' (that's what Blue told him they were) turned to face them, surprise obvious on both of their faces. When they had begun to approach, Lance moved closer to Shiro, trying to stay behind the larger male which effectively made the other two pause in their tracks. There was a thick silence in the air and Shiro finally looked back at Lance, offering a gentle smile as he squeezed his hand. The younger male ignored the way his heart fluttered and allowed the Black Paladin to pull him out from behind him so he was standing beside him instead. The older Altean, Coran, approached carefully, offering a hand.

"Lance, I'm Coran." He offered the young man a beaming smile and something in Lance urged him to trust the man. Slowly and cautiously, Lance reached his free hand to take hold of Coran's, swallowing thickly before offering a small smile of his own. This seemed to please not only Coran, but also Shiro and Allura. He quickly let go when he noticed the eyes on him and moved closer to the Black Paladin, earning a soft chuckle from said male. He looked at him slightly, a pout in place which only made the other laugh once more and gently squeeze his hand,

"Allura, can you call the others to the bridge while I try to get him comfortable?" Shiro questioned, looking to the princess slightly. Allura smiled at him and nodded slightly, her eyes flickering to Lance for a moment. The Blue Paladin was looking around the room, seeming to only just now realize just how large the room was, eyes wide with awe, lips parted slightly. She looked back to Shiro, noting how he was looking at Lance now as well, a gentle smile on his face. She couldn't help but smile slightly, shaking her head slightly with an amused laugh, catching both of the paladins' attention. Lance simply cocked his head to the side slightly with this confused puppy look and when Shiro saw it, his heart pounded in his chest, face flushing slightly. Allura obviously noticed this because she laughed again and turned to go to the control panel to summon the other paladins. Lance simply looked at Shiro and quirked a brow, the older man quickly brushing it off as nothing and leading him to the Blue Paladin seat.

It didn't take long for the others to get to the bridge, having been fairly determined to see Lance once she said he came to talk to them. They had to admit, seeing Lance holding onto Shiro's hand like it was the only thing grounding him was quite a surprising sight, but they didn't dare question it.

Hours passed as they talked to Lance, explained how he knew each of them, explained what they were doing out in the middle of nowhere. He didn't believe them at certain parts, starting to argue and only stopping when Shiro squeezed his hand and murmured something to him, leading to the Blue Paladin calming down. It took a while for him to start warming up to them, let them get closer to him as they talked, but he wouldn't let anyone but Shiro and Coran have physical contact with him. Hunk was obviously hurt by this, but Pidge had been there to comfort him. 

Keith, Pidge, and Hunk had been trying to explain what happened the day they ended up finding Shiro when a soft snore echoed through the room. Looking at Lance, they found the teen resting his head against Shiro's arm, soft snores leaving him every now and again as he slept. Hunk and Pidge shared a smile, Keith huffing softly behind him (there was a small smile on his face, though he would just deny it). Shiro and Hunk had started talking about who would carry Lance to his room when Coran slipped behind him and just scooped him up while they were distracted, taking him to his room. He laid the teen down and made sure to cover him with the thin sheet Lance had on his bed, offering a gentle smile before leaving the room to let him sleep.

 

As time passed, Lance would remember small bits and pieces of things that happened, always excited when he did. Once, he tackled Hunk because he had a dream about the time back at the garrison and when he asked the dazed Yellow Paladin about it, both were ecstatic when he said it actually had happened.

At that time, he had already warmed up enough to everyone that physical contact was allowed. He allowed Hunk to hug him as long as he gave him a little warning. He allowed Pidge to sit on his lap while they worked on their laptop and he played with their hair. He allowed Keith to drape his arm over his shoulders when the two were talking. He allowed Allura to grab his hand and drag him to the bridge when she wanted to talk about something. He ended up spending more time with Shiro and Coran, the older Altean like a father figure to him. Shiro was...well, the two had gotten close, which Hunk and Pidge always teased Lance about.

It was late one night when Lance ended up having another dream. In the dream, he had been with Hunk and Pidge when they found an unconscious Shiro being held up by Keith and his heart began to hammer in his chest. He remembered the others telling him about this, but seeing it made the Blue Paladin bolt up in bed. He was silent for a long moment before quickly leaving his room to search for Shiro. When he found the Black Paladin's empty room, he was quick to begin wandering the castle, trying to find the leader. It didn't take that long, really. He ended up in the observation deck, blue eyes landing on the tall male standing in the middle of the room. Grey eyes were glued out the window, staring at the stars that surrounded them.

Lance quietly approached the older male, eyes not leaving him until he was standing beside him. Shiro's attention was still on the stars so he took the opportunity to take hold of the cold prosthetic hand, intertwining their fingers. The Black Paladin visibly jumped, pulling a soft laugh from Lance as he smiled up at him when he turned his attention from the stars to the Blue Paladin.

"Lance." He breathed out, staring at him for a moment before smiling slightly himself, gently squeezing his hand. "What are you doing awake?" The question was simple, but it made the smile on the other's face wilt slight as he looked forward towards the stars. "Lance?" There was a moment of silence before the teen sighed softly, leaning against Shiro slightly. He felt the older male wrap his arm around his shoulders, lifting his hand in the process so his arm was across his chest, hands still intertwined.

"Hm...I had another one of those dreams. It was about how the five of us ended up together." Sighing softly, Lance looked at Shiro slightly to see he had his full attention, dark eyes trained only on Lance. "You looked so.." He trailed off for a moment, looking away slightly and hesitating. He only continued when he felt Shiro squeeze his hand gently and pull him closer, the actions prompting him to finish what he was saying. "You barely looked alive, you...you were so still, so limp when I moved to help Keith carry you, I thought you were-" His voice cracked slightly when he trailed off and it made Shiro's heart hurt. He raised his free hand to gently cup Lance's cheek and turn his face towards him, offering him a gentle smile.

"Hey...I'm right here, Lance. I'll always be right here." His voice was soft, his tone making Lance's heart pound in his chest. Despite how well he knew the other paladins, Shiro seemed to only use that voice with Lance and it made the Blue Paladin feel so damn special.

"Promise me you won't leave me.." The way Lance's voice wavered made Shiro tighten his arm around him slightly, leaning down to press their foreheads together. The Black Paladin noted how a slight flush dusted the other's cheeks, the sight making a warm feeling pool in his gut.

"I promise you, Lance."

When Lance beamed up at him, blue eyes bright as he moved to wrap his arms around Shiro, the older male knew he had to keep his promise no matter what.

If Lance didn't have his memory, he'd at least have him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone had entered her cockpit and were frozen in place.
> 
> “Shiro?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i added another chapter bc i wanted to make them suffer  
> h a h  
> i'm sorry  
> (this is on my tumblr too btw so if you see it there, that's why)

Lance and Shiro had grown close once he had woken up and was convinced to talk to everyone. For a while, only Shiro and Coran had been able to be near the teen, they had been the only ones allowed to have physical contact with him. It had taken him a long time to let the others close and he still was closer to Shiro and Coran.

As memories came, the closer he let himself get to everyone.

As memories came, the more he wanted to know about Shiro.

He didn’t have that many memories (he couldn’t remember much about the group in general just yet) that he could remember that included Shiro so he had started to ask him about himself. Question for question.

As time passed, the two had grown close, which was something Hunk and Pidge, whom Lance had warmed up to a lot over the past month or so, would tease the teen about.

Then that night happened.

Shiro had woken up to two arms wrapped firmly around him, a familiar voice whispering soft words of comfort to him. His hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat, his body shaking as he tried to even his breathing. He couldn’t quite remember what he had been dreaming about, but he knew it had apparently been bad enough for Lance to hear him when he was walking to the training room, a place the Blue Paladin took refuge in when he couldn’t sleep for some odd reason.

The teen had entered Shiro’s room and was quick to attempt to wake the older male, forgetting what Shiro had told him about being carefully if he was having a nightmare momentarily and focusing on helping the Black Paladin. He had swung in his sleep, landing a solid blow on Lance’s gut, having knocked the breath out of him. That’s what led to Lance holding him with his arms pinned to his sides.

Shiro had been quick to start apologizing for hitting him, which just pulled a laugh from the Blue Paladin, a sound that was more reserved than it had been before. He found himself staring at the nineteen year old as he sat back on his knees, smiling at the leader with a simple ‘it was my fault anyways’.

Neither knew what really happened next, they both just remembered the Black Paladin leaning forward and connecting their lips. Lance had froze, eyes wide and when he felt Shiro begin to pull away, he had quickly wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him again.

After that, the two had found themselves in a relationship that the others had said they ‘saw coming’. It was hard at first, any relationship developed during a war would be hard, especially when you’re on the front lines constantly, but they had managed to make it work. At some point, they had both begun to sleep in each other’s rooms all the time. It was mostly Shiro’s room that was used seeing as it was the biggest of the two, but Shiro wasn’t picky when Lance roam off during dinner and end up in his own room. (They’ve all been working on that, trying to get Lance’s appetite back to normal, and so far, it seemed like it was working.)

Then the battle with Zarkon had come around not long after they met the Blade of Marmora and rescued Slav.

The battle had been hard but they won! They had defeated Zarkon! Everyone was happy!

Then Black didn’t move when they were called back to the castle so they could leave. Lance felt worry pooling in his gut as they tried to call out for their leader and got no reply.

She was carried back.

Everyone had entered her cockpit and were frozen in place.

“Shiro?”

Keith’s voice sounded muffled to Lance as he stared at the helmet laying on the ground, blue orbs wide. His hands were shaking at his sides, eyes burning as he watched the chaos ensue. He couldn’t make out his teammates’ voices as they spoke, the same words running through his mind quickly.

_“Hey…I’m right here, Lance. I’ll always be right here.”_

He felt a large hand grab his own and his reaction had been slow before he turned his blank gaze to his friend. Hunk’s eyes were worried as he squeezed Lance’s hand. His mouth was moving, but he couldn’t tell what he was saying.

__“Promise me you won’t leave me..”_  _

He found himself quickly jerking his hand away from Hunk’s, barking out a surprisingly hostile “Don’t touch me”, his entire body trembling. Someone’s voice, he couldn’t quite tell who’s, had said his name and he looked around to see the others looking at him.

Keith’s expression was frustrated, most likely from the fact that he just lost his brother, his best friend, and now Lance was lashing out. If one looked passed the frustration in those violet eyes, they would see the panic that had settled, his hands twitching at his sides slightly.

Allura looked surprised, eyes wide as she stared at her Blue Paladin. She had never heard him speak like that before, never heard him yell at any of the others except for the time he had exited the cryopod.

Coran’s expression was a mixture of pity as well as concern for the boy he had grown to view as a son. During the time he could barely even remember any of them, he had been one of the few that could be near Lance and he could see the panic in those bright blue eyes he would often see back then when Lance would forget where he was.

Hunk looked almost hurt by the way Lance had jerked away from him and moved away, but the concern for not only his best friend, but also Shiro was quickly pushing the hurt away. He took a step towards the other and was stopped by Pidge’s hand on his arm. The youngest of the group was staring downwards, not meeting anyone else’s eyes as they simply made Hunk stay in place.

Lance quickly felt that shield he was easily able to put up when he didn’t want the others to know how he felt crumble, tears rolling down his cheeks.

_“I promise you, Lance.”_

Shiro’s voice promising he wouldn’t leave him slowly got louder and louder as it repeated and the Blue Paladin found himself barely even able to hear the others’ voices anymore. Tears began to fall at a quicker rate and he was quick to turn away and head for Blue’s hangar, just wanted to being with his lion. He heard one of their voice’s call out to him, but he ignored it and quickly ran off.

Blue attempted to overpower the memory with her own memories of her paladin, her words and purrs echoing through the teen’s mind. He could still hear Shiro’s voice, he could still hear the promise being whispered to him by his mind, and he found himself dropping to his knees as soon as he entered Blue’s cockpit, sobs shaking his body. Blue’s concerned purr echoed through his mind and he felt himself curl into himself.

The lion put her force field up in the end, refusing to let any of the other paladins nor the Alteans in to see her paladin.

He needed to cope and she was going to let him without the disruption of others.


End file.
